Tuesday, January 8

The skin around the eyes is one of the most sensitive and fragile portions of the body. It is the section where tiredness, sleepiness, sadness and age are most noticeable so it is also the section that requires the most TLC.

As we live in very busy times and visits to the spa rarely make it in the schedule, skin care is something we have managed to bring to the home. We buy expensive cosmetics, carefully apply them every day and hope that they show some results. But nature has been giving us the solutions for centuries. There are plenty of skin care products that can be made easily at home and eye masks are especially great because you wouldn’t want to apply something with unknown ingredients to an area that is so sensitive.

The first thing you should know is that anything cold will help you reduce the puffiness if you have been suffering from a lack of sleep lately. You can freeze a couple of spoons and place them over your eyes for 15 minutes or you can do the same with ice cubes wrapped in a soft towel. You can even relieve some of the stress showing on your eyes with a frozen bag of peas you are planning to cook for dinner – don’t put them in the microwave to defrost them immediately, place them on your eyes for several minutes and then proceed. Generally speaking, masks made from completely natural ingredients also need to be refrigerated before applying so whatever you concoct in your cauldron, cool it before you spread it over your eyes.

The easiest and most natural eye masks you can apply at home involve cucumbers, potatoes, apples, baking soda, milk, yogurt and eggs.

You have probably seen pretty girls with slices of cucumbers on their eyes in movies numerous times. But as you can guess, placing a slice of cucumber on an area that is not flat is not the best distribution method. A better idea would be to turn the cucumber into a smooth paste with the help of a blender, cool it for several minutes and then apply it on the eyes for about 20 minutes. As cucumbers consist of 98% water and as (you probably know) moisturizing is one of the most important things for a fresh and smooth-looking skin, the cucumber mask is one of the best tricks up your sleeve.

There is another cucumber mask recipe which is a bit more complicated, but will work better if you have the time. Mix half a cup of crushed cucumber with a quarter of a cup of yogurt and an egg and apply it to your eyes. Cover the whole thing with a warm cloth and wait around 20 minutes. Finally, rinse your face with warm water.

The easiest potato mask is very similar to the cucumber one – process the potato in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste, chill it and apply. Remember that potatoes are not so much a remedy for puffy eyes as they are a remedy for dark circles. So if you are battling with a shade of purple that does not match your outfit, the potato mask is your best bet.

The other potato mask you can use consists of a small crushed potato mixed with about a quarter of a grated apple. After you have applied the mixture you should again cover it with a warm cloth and rinse it with warm water after about 15 minutes.

If you are aiming for an all-healthy and refreshed look, the milk and soda mixture should become your favourite recipe. Mix a quarter of a cup of milk with 4 tablespoons of baking soda, chill it in the fridge and apply. For maximum efficiency, rinse your face with cool water after about 15 minutes.

Other things you can use are egg whites and tea bags. Separate the egg white from the yolk and apply it around the eyes. In some 15 minutes it will almost feel like a peel-off mask which you can rinse with cold water. In terms of tea bags, Green Tea is the one with the most effect. It contains anti-oxidants which are very beneficial to the skin so after you’ve made your afternoon tea, chill the tea bags and place them on your eyes.

Taking care of your appearance doesn’t necessarily mean spending your monthly budget on expensive beautifying procedures and products. The same results can be achieved with some basic ingredients you always have at home providing you are prepared to put in the effort on a regular basis.

Rita Rova writes money saving beauty advice for Oz-Coupons.com, the coupon code website that lists the top discounts for Australian beauty stores.